


Can't Sleep (Reasons to Hug #6)

by DAfan7711



Series: Dragon Age - Short stories, Vignettes [21]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: BioWare romances, Cadash siblings, Camping, Cappi has flirted with Josie Kissed Lavellan and Adaar and Romanced Dorian, Cappi is a flirt, Cappi/Samhal, Dragon Age romances, Dwarf/Elf, Dwarves, Elves, Fluff, Hugs, M/M, Pansexual Character, Prompt Fill, Samhal is Herald but Cassandra is Inquisitor, Samhal is a flirt, Short, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Tumblr, an unexpected sequel, and missing tents, complications with bears, lyrium merchants, reasons to hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DAfan7711/pseuds/DAfan7711
Summary: Without a tent and alone in the frigid dark, Samhal Lavellan huddles by a campfire. Lucky for him, help is on the way in the form of a flirty lyrium merchant.
Relationships: Cappi x Samhal, Male Cadash/Male Lavellan (Dragon Age)
Series: Dragon Age - Short stories, Vignettes [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/249274
Kudos: 1





	Can't Sleep (Reasons to Hug #6)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RedEris](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedEris/gifts), [GuileandGall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuileandGall/gifts).



> [Read this story on Tumblr](https://dafan7711.tumblr.com/post/621193249901658112/6-because-you-cant-sleep-without-hugging-someone)
> 
> RedEris‘ Samhal Lavellan x my Cappi Cadash in an unexpected sequel to the short fic [A New Friend](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9272456). Samhal is Herald; Cassandra is Inquisitor.
> 
> Thank you to [GuileandGall](https://archiveofourown.org/users/guileandgall) for suggesting the Reasons to Hug prompt #6: Because you can’t sleep without hugging someone (For the character of your choice).

The campfire wasn’t enough. Samhal shivered and pulled his too-thin cloak tighter around himself with stiff fingers. However pretty it was, the flashy gold buckle at his throat wasn’t keeping him warm.

He should have taken that fur blanket the trader had offered – but Samhal hadn’t been able to resist his new rings. They’d served him well already: When he’d danced that night, the flash of his fingers had mesmerized his audience. No magic required.

He shuddered.

No, no magic.

Lost in contemplating his own lonely misery, Samhal didn’t hear the steady approach of heavy dwarven boots on the frozen forest floor.

“Running away again?”

Samhal stilled. Who the fuck?

“May we join you?” the dwarf asked in a warm, deep baritone.

Wait. He knew that voice, those lips: The lyrium merchant.

Samhal smiled seductively and turned with all the grace of an Antivan prince, allowing his cloak to flow open over one shoulder to reveal the fine silks he wore beneath.

Fuck the Ferelden spring. He might actually have company tonight.

“Serah Cadash, how lovely to see you again.”

It was, truly. A blocky, powerful man who was several heads shorter than Samhal himself, Cappi Cadash wore confidence with more style than Samhal’s horrendously expensive slippers. His square, ruddy, clean-shaven face and adorable round nose had been blessed by wind and sun.

Whereas Samhal’s own skin hated the fucking watery sun – no matter how weak it was, the sun still managed to make him blister – and biting wind. It was annoyingly difficult to keep up his beauty routine while chasing off to ass-fuck-wherever Cassandra was always dragging him.

The dwarf grinned. “Please, call me Cappi. My sister suggested you might like some company.”

Samhal peered around Cappi’s shoulder and saw Shiva and Ifrit Cadash guiding their carts and caravan animals up the narrowest path to the clearing. Their dwarven and human crew started unloading camping supplies.

So no private tryst tonight. At least this group wouldn’t expect him to sing the Maker’s praises.

“Of course. Please join me.” Instead of pouting, Samhal gestured for Cappi to sit. “My guards are around here somewhere, but Cass and crew have run off to find the horses carting our tents – a bear chased them off.”

Cappi frowned with concern. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”

He trotted off toward his siblings, surprisingly quick for one so short. Nice form, too. The thick jacket and pants couldn’t hide the strength behind those strides.

Sighing, Samhal turned back to the fire and pulled his cloak tightly closed with a hiss. The lining was fucking frigid.

“Here.” Cappi was back, draping a fur-lined robe over Samhal’s shoulders, a thick blanket over his lap. They were already warm.

“Whose heat am I stealing?” Samhal asked and Cappi laughed.

“My sister’s. She drove the first cart and doesn’t need them now that she’s up and unloading.”

“Thank you.”

Cappi nodded. “Was anyone hurt in the attack?” he asked.

“The atta—oh, the bear sighting. Only the bear. Cassandra punched it in the nose and it ran off.” Samhal chuckled and stretched out his legs under the cozy blanket. He was nearing comfortable.

Cappi scowled and Samhal cocked his head, considering the dwarf more closely. The anger wasn’t directed at him, so he found it fascinating. This jovial trader couldn’t be a pushover, of course – not in a business as politically and physically dangerous as the lyrium trade, and Samhal knew from their last encounter that Cappi had some kind of dirt on Varric – but this edge was something else.

“There are other ways to safeguard your party,” Cappi said sternly. “We shouldn’t injure the wildlife when we’re the ones encroaching on their territory.”

“Would love to see you teach the Lady Seeker that lesson.” Samhal grinned and Cappi laughed, settling on the next log over so they could see each other as they chatted.

“I may need to enlist the help of Master Tethras for that,” Cappi said. “He’s the one with the silver tongue.”

“And yours is made of gold?” Samhal teased.

Cappi laughed so hard that his sister turned to look at them and he waved her off.

Cappi had brought a second blanket that he draped over his own legs, squashing any hope Samhal had of offering to share.

“You wouldn’t happen to have any tents yourself?” Samhal asked hopefully, glancing back at Cappi’s party.

“Nope. Donated them to a runaway princess.”

“Bullshit.” Samhal looked back at him.

“Close enough. Refugees needed them.”

Couldn’t argue with that. Samhal sighed and looked into the fire. At least he had a blanket now. And someone to talk to.

“How’s your hand?” Cappi asked.

Samhal’s cheeks warmed with the reminder. Just a few weeks ago, Cappi had bandaged Samhal’s hand, kissed his cheek – _almost_ his mouth – blackmailed Varric, and retired to his heavily guarded tent all in the space of two minutes.

Samhal smiled back, scooted closer. “Better, thanks to your aid.”

Cappi chuckled. “I’m sure elfroot helped more.”

“Well …”

Shiva strode up, as strong as her brother, but with a cute round face with only a hint of pink across her pale cheeks.

“Your Worship.” She nodded a brisk acknowledgement to Samhal and reported to Cappi, “The rear scout found them, no problem. No new trouble. Harding saved the horses, but their tents cart was washed downstream. Total loss.”

Buggered druffalo testicles, Samhal thought. There’d be no tents until they reached the next keep.

“The Inquisitor?” Samhal asked. “And Solas?”

“Well and dry, Your Worship, if a bit put out and foot sore. We’ve sent them extra furs to bed by a fire tonight. Should see them here mid-day tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Shiva,” Cappi said. “Make sure our scout gets an extra cup of cocoa.”

“Double the marshmallows?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Shiva grinned and trotted off toward a cooking fire her party had set up. The scent of coffee and bacon drifted over, but Samhal wasn’t hungry. He’d only had rations for dinner, but sitting on the cold log had killed his appetite. Now that he was warm, he was getting drowsy.

Cass had dragged them out of their bedrolls two hours before dawn. They’d ridden all day and it was now past sundown.

Samhal blinked, trying to recall – “Oh, swine tits. Solas has my bedroll.”

Cappi laughed and stood, dropping his blanket on the log behind him. “We’ve plenty of blankets. And now that we’re here, you won’t have to face any bears – or Seekers – all by your lonesome.”

Samhal rose too, tossing his blanket on top of Cappi’s and wrapping the borrowed fur tighter around himself. He pouted theatrically. “I _have_ been lonely tonight.”

“You’re among friends again!” Cappi said brightly, opening his arms wide. “You want a hug? Dorian says I give the best hugs.”

“You’ve hugged Dorian? Lofty scholar and Necromancer Altus?” Samhal couldn’t envision Dorian Pavus hugging anyone.

Cappi grinned.

Samhal narrowed his eyes with suspicion. “How many Inquisition people have you hugged?”

Cappi grinned wider, his arms still open wide.

Samhal laughed and took a step closer, opening his cape in invitation. Cappi hopped up on the nearest log and wrapped his powerful arms around Samhal’s waist. The dwarf’s soft belly pressed against him, chasing away the last of the cold.

Samhal was finally comfortable.

**Author's Note:**

> [Read this story on Tumblr](https://dafan7711.tumblr.com/post/621193249901658112/6-because-you-cant-sleep-without-hugging-someone)
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
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